+ It is often said and heard that a person who has weight issues knows well that diets do not work.
That is, if you just take the weight off by eating less and even by exercising more, that is not enough.
Yes, often one will lose weight. But often they will say you can put it right back on and even more.
No. What one has to do is develop a different relationship with food.
They have to change the way that they eat, and the way that they see food.
Spiritually, it is the same; religion and faith are not just about obeying some rules or following some commands.
Faith is about a relationship with God and with Jesus and with the kingdom.
For Joel, and for so many throughout the Old Testament, one of the things that people were called to do was to “proclaim a fast.”
Even in their eating and drinking, sometimes a sinful and greedy and careless way of living took people away from God and from justice, and from caring about others.
Joel, like so many of the prophets, was calling for a total makeover.
It was about changing their relationship with God and even with themselves. That is what prophets did!
+ And Jesus, too, was about calling people to live anew. It was about a total change of life, and a welcoming of the kingdom into their souls.
Casting out demons was not enough.
Or, in our times, confession is not enough; it is not about having sins forgiven then going about living the same way again. It is about discovering healing and newness and a new way of living faithfully.
And when Jesus was criticized and accused of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, he danced circles around his adversaries with examples and comparisons that left them dazed.
Jesus was looking for more. Jesus was preaching and proclaiming more. Jesus was showing a pathway to more.
And Jesus was calling people to trust in his teaching and to find the life that he was offering, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
Like dieting, we have come to know it is more than just eating a little less.
Spiritually, Jesus knew quite well that it was about changing one’s entire relationship with God and self.
And rather than “dance circles around us,” Jesus would rather involve us in the dance.
In fact, with Jesus the Lord, me thinks he would love to draw us into the wonderful ballet — an eternal ballet, a heavenly ballet, a now and forever ballet!
Dance, everyone! Dance!
Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.
